


Out Tonight

by tsunbae



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drunk Lance (Voltron), Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Keith/Lance (Voltron), Other, Rent References, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 03:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16076993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsunbae/pseuds/tsunbae
Summary: When Keith walked into the observation deck unable to fall asleep; he wasn’t expecting this.





	Out Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the song Out Tonight from RENT  
> so this has been lurking in my drafts for a while, and i’ve finally decided to post it lmao
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of self-harm

When Keith walked into the observation deck unable to fall asleep; he wasn’t expecting this.

“Lance?”

Said boy swivelled around, a goofy, lopsided grin gracing his features. “Keef! My man!” He hiccuped, wobbling his way towards the other Paladin. “Wassup?”  
  
Keith eyed the bottle in Lance’s hand, flicking back up to the boy who had since slung an arm around Keith’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Loosen up man!” Okay, Lance may be a goofball, but not to  _this_ extent. “Have a drink!” He offered the bottle, Keith scrutinising the label written in Altean.

“What is this? Where did you find it?"

“I… Don’t know! It tastes gross but after a while it doesn’t matter! I mean, I feel great!” He cheered, snatching the bottle back and taking a long swig.

It dawned on Keith that it was not simple juice or water. Keith was no genius, but Lance was acting drunk, so whatever was in there had some sort of alcoholic substance or properties.

“Lance, you need to stop, it could be poisonous!” Raising his voice for some sort of authority, Keith reached for the bottle, only for Lance to step back, cradling it in his arms.

“Boo, you’re no fun.” Lance pouted, his reflexes pretty quick considering he was not in his normal state of mind. “Let me have my fun!”

“Lance, that’s probably some type of alcohol, meaning it’s illegal to drink until you’re 21!”

“In England you can drink at 18!”

“You’re not English.”

“We’re in space Keef, who’s gonna stop me? There’s no police and the aliens don’t know about the age of drinking.” Lance gestures to the stars scattered across the dark sky through the large window. “Do they even have laws? And I don’t even know how old I am anymore, when was my birthday? What day is it? Ah well, let’s say it’s today and I’m turning 21. Cheers!” And another swig.

“You - You’re right.” Keith admitted, slumping down in his seat. “Hey Lance, pass us some.” Lance skipped over, happily handing the bottle to Keith. Smirking victoriously, Keith jumped away, “Ha! Now you can’t drink more!”

“Sorry, I drank it all!” Lance laughed hysterically as Keith tipped the bottle upside down, not even a single drop falling out.

“What the hell Lance?! We’re going to the medical wing now.” Keith grabbed Lance’s arm, only for Lance to pull away. “Lance?”

“What’s the time? It’s gotta be close to midnight…”

“Probably? Why does it matter? Lance, you could be dying-“

Lance snorted mockingly, “Dying? Sounds dangerous. But I don’t want to die right now.”

“Then we need to-“

“Right now I want to put on tight shorts and flirt with a stranger.” Keith spluttered in shock at Lance’s blunt confession. “I want to be the cause of a fight, you know? I want danger!” Lance spun too quickly, Keith rushing to help him stand somewhat upright without falling.

“You’re already dangerous enough, and isn’t possibly being poisoned enough danger?”

“I don’t want “possible”, I need definite! Life’s too short!” Lance whined, pushing Keith away and throwing his arms up. “I want to go out tonight!” He decided firmly.

“No Lance. Where would we go anyway?” Keith sighed heavily wondering how he ended up like this, following after Lance as he meandered through the pristine corridors.

“I know a place, where this chick can dance in the rain!” Lance sung, suddenly turning on his heel, pressing a finger to Keith’s chest, looking up through naturally long lashes. “We won’t need money, I always get in for free. You can get in too, if you get in with me.”

Lance was going to be the death of Keith, his whole face flushing an intense red. “That’s not the issue!” He snarled, flustered, Keith pushing Lance away this time, folding his arms across his chest.

“I have to go out tonight Keef!” Lance stressed, voice taut and whiny as he clung onto the Red Paladin, “Lets run away! We’ll be back by the time the sun rises!”

“There is no sun.” Keith pointed out, though Lance was unaffected by Keith’s statement.

“Take me out tonight! Keeeeeef!” Said male jutted his chin the other way as Lance practically threw himself on Keith, lips curled in a pout. “Let’s go out tonight! I have to go out tonight!”

Keith sighed heavily, “Why do you HAVE to go out?”

For the first time that night, Lance fell silent for a moment.

“Can’t sleep in a quiet ship, it’s too far from home. I miss when the Spanish babies cry.” He mumbled, his eyes downcast, clouded with an unreadable emotion.  
  


Keith was quite happy in space, he had his Mother and Shiro and he loved being a Paladin. He found out a part of who he was- something he never would’ve found out on Earth. He could finally put his skills into use, and helping people at the same time. He was saving the universe- that was cool to him. He was pretty content. He belonged in space. He didn’t miss Earth at all- what did Earth have that the rest of the universe and space didn’t?

On the other hand, Lance was homesick. Much so. Being in a quiet ship in the middle of undiscovered space was quite the change from his usual noisy household in a town where he could always find something to do. In space there was nothing quite like Earth’s rain; no nightclubs, no pubs, and Lance’s home was no where in sight. The tree’s on the planets were never as green as Earth’s, the flowers never smelt as sweet, the food never tasted as warm. Most of all the people. There was no one who could quite replace the familiar faces he missed dearly.  
  


Keith rested a hand on Lance’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “Lance, I had no clue-“

“So let’s find a bar, so dark we forget who we are!” Lance cleared his throat, grinning widely as he gripped Keith’s hand, not letting the tears welling in his eyes fall just yet. “So the scars from never’s and maybes die!” Holding Keith’s hand, a single clear thread fell down his cheek as he sent Keith a closed eye smile, pulling him down the corridors.

“Lance…” Scars? Their precious skin-care obsessed blue paladin has scars? -That was what he was implying anyway. How little did they know about him?

“I have to go out tonight.” Lance repeated, the same six words he’d been saying since Keith had found him and the empty bottle. “Just take me out, please take me out tonight.” Lance’s bouncing steps turned to solemn sole dragging, pleading to Keith with tears freely falling as his smile wavered and wobbled, his composure crumbling beneath Keith’s feet.

“Lance, for now let’s get you checked out.” Keith reassured the boy, tugging him towards the medical wing. Question could wait until after.

“Don’t forsake me..!” Lance begged fruitlessly, “Just take me out tonight!”

The pair slumped to the floor, Keith’s arms wrapping firmly around Lance’s trembling body. “Not tonight Lance. I promise that we will go out. Once you reach 21 we can get drunk in a bar together and be night owls and roam the streets. That’s not a never or maybe- it will happen.”

“Will I reach 21?” Lance sniffled.

“Of course.”

“Don’t make empty promises Keef.” Lance giggled, snuggling into the crook of Keith’s neck, Keith’s cheeks heating up as Lance’s breath tickled his skin. “You’re sweet.”

“Can’t say the same about you.” With Lance in his arms, Keith made his way to the medical wing, realising they’d ended up at the air lock. Was that planned? Just what was Lance thinking?

“Don’t care. No time for sweet delusions. I live how I please.”

Keith rolled his eyes. Even drunk Lance was arrogant. “What the about others in your life?”

“Living every day like it’s the last; of course I’m considerate to others the same way. We’re all in the same boat. Or castle-ship actually.” Lance drawled, a feeling of dread haunted Keith. Still, he did nothing as Lance continued running his drunken mouth off, “We could die any day, so we gotta live for tonight! If it’s not by Galra, my body will kill me first! That’s why I love danger! No going back! I get to control when I die, I choose to risk it! I don’t want regrets when I do die. Living on the edge is thrilling!”

“We won’t let you die Lance, not at the hands of Galra or anyone else.” Keith huffed. Huh, so Lance was both a flirty drunk and an emotional drunk.

**“Even from myself?”**

“What do you mean? Why are we even talking about this?” Finally the pair arrived at the medical wing, Keith paging Coran then taking a seat next to Lance, who was laying on the bed, being surprisingly compliant considering his earlier behaviour. “Doesn’t it get tiring?”

“Yeah. It does.” Lance breathed, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m really tired Keef.”

“No Lance, stay awake.” Keith said sternly, adjusting the bed to a sitting position to hopefully keep Lance awake. “You have to stay awake. Talk to me, about anything.”

“Did you know I have CHD? I haven’t needed meds in years now.”

Keith’s heart stopped. “W - What?” He uttered, eyes blown wide as Lance casually assessed his nails. “Doesn’t that mean you’re getting better?”

“Keef.” The way Lance drew out his name made his heart melt and twist painfully all at once in his chest. “They gave up. I was meant to have surgery. It means my body is giving up on me. It means it’s stopped trying.”

“That…” Keith went from stunned silence to quick-fire questions, brows furrowing in confusion and disbelief. “ When? Why? How? Why didn’t you tell us? We could do something about it! Why wait until now?! What about the surgery?!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’m just trying not to ignore the inevitable.” Lance shrugged halfheartedly, shaking his head with his eyes closed and arms folded across his chest, “I was meant to have the bypass a month after we left Earth. I was unstable. Still am I guess.”

“No… No no no, Lance, you will make it. We just need to program the pod-“

“It’s fiiiiine Keef.” Lance groaned, blocking his ears childishly. “Didn’t want it anyway. I don’t want no balloon or - or something in my chest.”

“For God’s sakes Lance! Why didn’t you say something?! We’re not letting you die!” Keith didn’t realise he’d been crying until Lance wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Don’t cry Keef.” Lance’s offered a cheesy grin, “I know you won’t let me die, so I’m letting me die.”

“That doesn’t even make sense idiot.” Keith scoffed, letting Lance play with his hair. Lance was still here. He wasn’t gone yet. He would take Lance to the pub and watch him dance in the rain and purr like a cat when he was drunk for some odd reason. Lance would live. Keith promised it.


End file.
